Car-coupling.



PATBNTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

A. swam. GAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JAILM, 1906.

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WITEEfigSES.

PATENTBD SEPT. 18, 1906.

A. STUGKI. CAR COUPLING.

I APPLICATION FILED JAIL-24. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 lNV ENTOR.

WITNESSES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Ap li ati filed January 24, 1906. Serial No. 297,670.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD STUoKI, a resi dent of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Coup lers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. This invention relates to car-couplers of the automatic type, and especially such as are provided with a swinging knuckle and locking means therefor. Y

In an application filed August 31, 1905, Serial No. 276,608, I have described and claimed improvements in a car-coupler of the class specified, having locking means so arranged that it cannot creep or jump up under the jolting of the car and accidentally unlock the knuckle, which can be set in unlocked position, so that it need not be held by the brakeman even though the cars do not immediately pull apart, which will be dis- Fig. 2, showing the locking-block in looking 3 ity thereof. movement straightens up the block and then lodged from said set position when the knuckle swings open, and which is also arranged to throw the knuckle open.

- The resent invention applies to the same class of couplers and has all of the functions just enumerated.

1 It consists in certain improvements upon the arrangement shown and described in said former application and principally in the arrangement whereby the locking means throws the knuckle open, the present arrangement having for its object to cheapen the constructionof the coupler-head and reduce friction during the kicking open of the knuckle.

The invention consists in the special construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved coupler, showing the knuckle in unlocked position. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the companion coupler, taken on the line 2 2-, Fig. 3, and showing the knuckle in locked position. vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3,

position. Fig. 4 is" a similar view showing the locking-block in unlocked set position. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line 5 5, Fig. 2, showing the locking-block in looking position; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are respectively end, front, and plan views of the locking-block.

My invention may be applied to any automatic car-coupler having a pivoted or swinging knuckle. It comprises a suitable head 1,

Fig. 3 is a having therein a recess or chamber 2 and provided with lugs 3, between which the knuckle 4 is pivoted by means of the pin 5. The head is also provided with a horn 6 and with a shank 7 for attachment to the draft mechanism, as is common in this type of couplers.

The knuckle is provided with a tail 8, which projects back into the recess 2 of the head, and at its end is provided with a hook 9, which engages an opening or similar means 10 in the head so as to prevent the knuckle from pulling out even though the pivot-pin should become broken or loose. The tail of the knuckle is also provided with a shoulder 11, which when the knuckle is locked engages a similar shoulder or wall 12 on the head so as to take the buffing strains from the pin 5. Said tail has a flat locking-face 13 for contacting with the locking-block. The head is provided with the roof 14 and with a solid wall 15 directly opposite the face 13 of the knuckle-tail when the latter is in locked position.

The locking-block 16 is substantially rectangular in horizontal cross-section with its long axis preferably arranged transversely of the coupler-head, as shown. The two sides or lateral faces of the block are flat and one thereof contacts with the face 13 of the tail, while the opposite one contacts with the wall 15 of the head, so that the unlocking thrust of the knuckle-tail is transmitted directly to the solid wall 15. When in its locking position, the rear edge of the block is supported on the fioor of the head, such as on the projection 18. The front edge of the block is unsupported, and consequently said block will tip forwardly, so as to bring its forward edge underneath a ledge or projection 19 on the forward wall of the coupler-head. This prevents the block from accidentally creeping or jumping upwardly under the j olting of the car, and therefore prevents the knuckle from becoming accidentally unlocked.

The lifting means is shown as a chain 20, this being attached eccentrically to the blockthat is, in front of the center of grav- Consequently the first lifting it moves vertically to unlock the tail, after which it again swings on a horizontal aXis transverse to the head, so that its front lower edge swings above the ledge or projection 19 and sets the block in unlocked position, as shown in Fig. 4. On its bottom the block is provided with a projecting portion or cam 21 which is contacted by the knuckle-tail when the latter swings open, the arrangement being such that this movement of the knuckletail pushes the block off the ledge 19 and allovilrs the same to fall down upon the knuckleta-i tion, the block automatically falls into locking position.

In order to throw the knuckle open, the block is provided with an arm or horn 22, which projects from the block at its upper rear corner and extends out laterally and downwardly, and its extreme end 23 reaches forwardly and contacts with the knuckle-tail as close to the pivot-pin 5 as possible. This arm or horn projects from the rear edge of the block,- so as not to destroy the eccentric suspension of the block and interfere with its swinging on a horizontal axis transverse to the head for the purpose of locking the same in the two positions above specified. The suspension means, however, is attached to the block, so that in the other direction the block and its horn are balanced, so as to prevent the tilting or turning of the block on a horizontal axis longitudinally of the head during the initial lifting thereof.

The throwing open of the knuckle is accomplished by providing a projection or cam 24 on the block which contacts with the roof of the head and rolls thereupon, so as to swing the block as it is being further pulled up, so as to crowd the horn 23 against the tail of the knuckle and swing the latter open. This proection 24 might be a mere lug which, contacting with the head, would form a pivotal point around which the block and its arm would swing as the further lifting of the block proceeds, thus, in effect, swinging the block around an axis longitudinal of the coupler-head and moving the horn 23 laterally of the head and against the tail of the knuckle. Such an arrangement, however, would cause the horn to move with relation to the side of the knuckle-in other words, would rub on the knuckle-tail and create friction. Preferably, therefore, this projection 24 is in the form of a curved cam, such as shown, which rolls on the roof of the knuckle, and thereby shifts the point of pivoting of the block, so that in swinging it begins practically on an axis longitudinal of the head and shifts gradually to an axis transverse of the head. As a consequence the horn 23 in stead of describing a straight path laterally shown at 26, Fig. 2, this curve being substantially an arc struck from the center of the pin 5. The consequence is that the end of the horn has no movement on the tail of the knuckle, thus entirely eliminating friction at this point. The cam 24 is in the form of an arc eccentric to the point of suspension of the block, as shown in Fig. 2, so that when the opening movement of the knuckle begins the lever is comparatively long, and as the open- When the latter swings to locked posiing movement continues this lever decreases. This provides for the increased power necessary to start the knuckle in its opening movement. In order to prevent the block from shifting laterally in the head, the cam 24 fits against a ledge or rib 27, projecting down from the roof of the head. This, however, is not absolutely essential.

The locking, accidental or antijumping or anticreeping and the lock-set positions of the block are all the same as in my application before described and are sufficiently described hereinbefore; The movements of the block in order to effect these several positions are effected by lifting the block for only a portion of its vertical movement. If the block be moved to its full upward travel, it brings the cam 24 into contact with the roof of the head. The highest part of the cam first strikes the head, and as the movement of the block continues upwardly the cam rolls on the roof of the head and swings the block in the manner described, so that the end 23 of the horn describes the curved path shown and throws the knuckle open, This unlocking movement is accomplished practically without friction, due to the fact that the end of thehorn travels in a curve and the cam 24 rolls on the roof of the head. Conse= quently the throwing open of the knuckle is effected by a minimum amount of power and can be effected by a gradual movement of the block and without the sudden jerk or impact required by all prior devices for this purpose.

It will be apparent that the cam- 24 instead of being formed on the block, as shown, might be formed on the roof of the head, the upper face of the block being plain, or said cam might be formed in part on the block and in part on the head. All such modifications would operate in the same manner as that illustrated and are intended to be in} cluded within the phrase block provided with a cam or like phraseology used in the claims.

What I claim is 1. In a car-coupler, the combination of a head,- a knuckle pivoted therein, and a knuckle-locking block in said head arranged for an initial vertical unlocking movement, and a subsequent rolling movement on the coupler-head around an axis substantially longitudinal of the head for throwing the knuckle open. of the head describes a curved path, as

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of a head, a knuckle pivoted therein, and a.

knuckle-locking block insaid head arranged for an initial vertical unlocking movement, and a subsequent shifting swinging move i ment starting about an axis longitudinally of the head and shifting gradually to an axis transversely of the head to thereby throw the knuckle open.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination of a ,head, a knuckle pivoted therein,- and a LII knuckle-opening device arranged in the head, and means for moving the same vertically, the arrangement being such that said device has a shifting swinging movement about an axis which at the beginning is substantially longitudinal of the head and shifts to a position transverse thereof.

4. In a oar-coupler, the combination of a head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, and a knuckle-locking block in said head provided with an arm arranged to engage the knuckle to throw the same open and having an initial vertical unlocking movement and a subsequent shifting rolling movement on a horizontal axis for throwing the knuckle open.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination of a head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, and a knuckle-opening device mounted in the head and arranged for vertical movement and provided with a cam for contacting with and rolling on the roof of the head and thereby swinging to effect the opening of the knuckle.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination of a head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, and a knuckle-locking block in said head arranged for an initial vertical unlocking movement and provided with a cam adapted to contact with and roll on the roof of the head to swing said block to effect the opening of the knuckle.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination of a head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, a knucklelocking block in said head arranged for an initial Vertical unlocking movement and hav ing a cam arranged on a curve eccentric to the lifting-point of the block and arranged to contact with and roll on the roof of the head in order to swing said block and effect the opening of the knuckle.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination of a I head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, a knucklelocking block in said head arranged for an initial vertical unlocking movement, said block being provided with an arm contacting with the knuckle and having a cam which in the further vertical movement of the block contacts with and rolls on the roof of the head in order to swing said block and effect the opening of the knuckle.

9. In a car-coupler, the combination of a head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, a knucklelocking block in said head, lifting means attached to said block in front of the center of gravity thereof, and an arm extending from the rear edge of the block and projecting forwardly and contacting with the knuckle-tail, said block being arranged for an initial vertical movement of the block-contacts with the roof of the head and rolls thereon for swinging said block to effect the opening of the knuckle.

10. In a car-coupler, the combination of a head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, a lockingblock in said head provided with a cam for contacting with and rolling on the roof of the head, an arm on said block adapted to engage the tail of the knuckle, and a ledge or wall on the head for preventing the block from shifting laterally.

11. In a car-coupler, the combination of a head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, and a knuckledocking block in said head arranged to swing on a transverse horizontal axis of the head to bring one edge under a projection on the head, and having a vertical unlocking movement, a subsequent swinging movement on a horizontal axis to bring a portion thereof above a projection on the head, and a subsequent shifting swinging movement ona horizontal axis in order to unlock the knuckle.

In testimony whereof I, the said ARNOLD STUoKI, have hereunto set my hand.

ARNOLD STUOKI.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. TOTTEN, G. O. RAYMOND. 

